View Single Post
Old 03-16-2008, 05:02 PM   #29
Lexicon
Enthusiast
Lexicon will become famous soon enoughLexicon will become famous soon enoughLexicon will become famous soon enoughLexicon will become famous soon enoughLexicon will become famous soon enoughLexicon will become famous soon enough
 
Posts: 44
Karma: 542
Join Date: Dec 2007
Device: Sony PRS-505
Quote:
Originally Posted by Halk View Post
You really do need to compare like for like.

Play is - No tax to pay, delivered. Full warranty, with no problems.
Buying from the US is - Tax to pay, delivery to pay. Possible warranty issues.

The difference is not 65 quid.

Delivery is going to be what, 40 dollars or so? Certainly if it's 270 then 300 would be a very good price including UK delivery. VAT on top of that at 17.5% (I believe there is no duty to pay) takes that up to 350 dollars. Currently the exchange rate is about 2 dollars to the pound, but credit card surcharges (or indeed pretty much any way of switching money over) brings that down to an effective rate of about 195.

Realistically, even if you find a fantastic deal in the US and a great delivery charge you're saving twenty quid.
Oh I agree it gives UK users a better (and quite possibly) cheaper way to get a 505 but a true like for like comparison is how much an American can buy one for in his country versus how much a Brit can buy the exact same device for in his country. In that comparison the difference really is about £65.

VAT accounts for about half of that difference, Sony will claim that the warranty and increased costs of trading in UK account for the rest - it's BS but enough buyers accept it for the excuse to work. The gouging isn't as bad as I feared (I fully expected a £250 minimum price) but let's not pretend it isn't going on.
Lexicon is offline   Reply With Quote